Do Not Fear The Unknown
by Dreaming-Of-A-Nightmare
Summary: We seek answers to questions that have not yet been asked. Still, we must not fear the unknown. .:. drabbles centered around events and characters of BBS. pairings will vary; het, BL, GL. rating will vary, so general T set. no definite number of drabbles.
1. Crippled By Darkness

**A/N: Hurm.**

**So…**

**I decided to do a collection of Birth By Sleep drabbles since I'm so utterly obsessed with it. And the funny part? I don't even have the game! I don't own a PSP, which is the reason why I don't have it, or trust me, I _would _have it by now_._**

**But… yeah. I just ended up watching each and every scene (including boss battles) on KH-vids(dot)net. That place rocks my socks; it's how I watched all of CoM (before it came out in English) and Days (before my sister got the game, since she had a DS). I owe that website my life, all because it gets EVERYTHING Kingdom Hearts and lets you _download_ it. Music, clips… everything. SO AWESOME. :D**

**ANYWAY…**

**Here's the first drabble. I don't know how many I'll do, or how often I'll update; it depends. But for now, enjoy!**

* * *

_[Crippled By Darkness]_

_[Ven and Van rivalry]  
_

His feet beat against the ground with the erratic rhythm of an unskilled drummer. He dares not glance behind him.

_He's there, I know he's there; he's coming up fast. I better – better –_

Footsteps drumming louder and louder, all he can hear. They drown out all other sounds: the harsh whoosh of wind, the subtle thump of his own accelerated heartbeat; everything. All he can hear is his own footfalls, clanking with metal and thudding with the dead weight of his own legs.

_Move faster, go farther; can't let him catch up, won't let him get me –_

Except a battle is never so easily avoided. Within second, the blond boy is stopping dead in his tracks, his adversary standing in his way, suddenly cropped up before him.

The boy gasps, and summons his Keyblade. He attempts a glare, but fear strums his heartstrings. He can feel the organ shuddering in his chest, as if it were having convulsions. He swallows hard.

His enemy's face is hidden behind a helmet, but in his voice, the blond can hear a smirk. "Running away, Ventus? Come now, you shouldn't be so scared of me. After all, you remember now where I come from, don't you?"

Ven in voluntarily shivers. He knows all too well, now, how Vanitas was created. He was born of Ven's own Darkness, stripped from Ven's own heart. Vanitas is part of Ven… and that is what terrifies the boy the most.

"That's right: I'm part of you. So let's be one again, Ventus. Join with me, and we shall create the Ӽ-Blade." And he is definitely smirking now, his voice a drawn-out sneer of malicious, manipulative glee. He holds out one hand, and reaches slowly for Ven. Directly toward his _chest._

The blond panics. Icy tendrils wrap around his veins and course down his body. He freezes in place, and for an instant, Vanitas succeeds. He touches his flattened palm to Ventus's sternum, and for that single instant, Ven can feel them merge.

He can feel evil creepily along his insides with the chilling venom of a serpent; he can feel Vanitas's essence, dark and alluring and brainwashed into believe he has a purpose; worst of all, he can feel himself buried deeply within Vanitas's being, a trace of the smallest proof of existence and humanity hidden among the Unversed and Darkness.

Ventus breaks away, gasping for breath, and he watches as Vanitas's fists curl inward, a scowl most likely dashed across his face beneath the mask. Vanitas leans in and hisses in the blond's ear just as a portal appears behind him, "I will get you someday soon, Ven. And when I do, you _will_ submit to me. The creation of the Ӽ-Blade is inevitable."

And he disappears.

Ven collapses to the ground on his knees. Only now can he let himself succumb to unconsciousness, finally broken by the overload of emotion and overuse of his strength.


	2. Until I Find You

_[Until I Find You]_

_[Aqua X Terra]  
_

I hold my luck charm to my chest, the cool metal and glass pressing against my skin. I close my eyes and make a silent pact to my lost friend.

_I will go to the ends of all the worlds and beyond if it means I can bring you back from the Darkness, Terra._

I open my eyes again and soak in the lingering light of the moon. I get the feeling that this is the last I will ever see of it. I am prepared to do anything I have to in order to keep Ven safe and rescue Terra. But I am no fool; I am well aware of the fact that I might not survive in the end.

But if I'm able to save my friends' lives, then I am a willing sacrifice. They mean more to me than my life.

So as I make my way out of Castle Oblivion, I barely bat an eyelash when I am lead to Terra. I know he is not himself; I can see it in his face, as readable as Merlin's little book. I hardly fight him when he grabs and lifts me up by the neck; I don't want to hurt him. And I know that deep in there somewhere, Terra is still trying to call out to me, and even through whatever fog surrounds him, he is capable of preventing his body from harming me.

I don't think twice about following him into the Darkness. The portal is small, and won't last very long. I don't have much time. Still, I race onward; I reach for him. Terra, my precious Terra… I won't let you fade into Darkness. This can't be your fate! I don't care if it's mine, but I won't let it be yours.

I finally reach him, but I have to act fast; the small twinkle of light above us is shrinking.

Then, suddenly, I know what I must do.

With a sad smile, I give Terra my Keyblade and armor. I send him flying off into the Dark, climbing higher and higher towards the remaining Light. He'll make it, I know he will.

"I'm with you," I tell him. _And I love you,_ I add to myself with an unshed tear pooling in my eye. I wipe it away, and begin my decent down into Darkness.

So this is what it's like, drifting away…

It's empty, and dismal. It reminds me of rain and childhood fears and depression. It reminds me of the bitter taste of hopelessness.

I know better. I know that this isn't the end. It can't be; I have Ven to get back to! So I simply close my eyes, and wait for what's coming to me.

"I'm sorry, Ven; it looks like I'll be gone for longer than I thought. But I promise Terra and I will be there to wake you up soon…"

Until I find Terra again. Until I find Ventus again. Until then, I will gladly be the Darkness so long as they find the Light. I will be the flip side of their coins, forever dormant, waiting, loving through and through.

I'm no martyr. In fact, I detest the term. But sometimes, I do wonder if I care too much for others for my own good. Still, I don't mind this. This isn't so bad. It's quiet, and peaceful in its own way.

I can rest now, if only for a while.


	3. Hope Restored

_[Hope Restored]_

_[Aqua talking to Ansem, no pairings]  
_

She carefully sits down on the charcoal sand. Bringing her legs up to her chest, and speaks with the stranger in the black cloak. He seems like a respectable man, judging by his word choice and tone.

The man remembers not his name, but the blue-haired girl remembers her own. She tells it to him. "I'm Aqua," she informs, glancing over at the man perched on the rock. They watch the forever sunset-sunrise, a ball of white in a sky of dark blues and greys, an everlasting moon, a dying sun. The unknown.

"Aqua," the man addresses, testing the name on his tongue. "That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you," the young woman murmurs. She hasn't aged a bit in ten years because of this strange world. A world caught between the Light and the Dark, but mostly residing in the Darkness. Sighing, she wonders aloud, "I wish I could remember who gave me the name, though. For some reason, I can't remember what my mother looked like. I've been here for so long… I don't even know _how _long. Days and nights don't exist here, so time blurs together. All I know is that I miss my friends, and wish that I could escape this place and find them again. I wonder how they are, and what they're doing; if one of them broke free and made good choices, and if the other is still safe."

The man nods his head. "I understand. But in Outside World today… the worlds themselves are changed. They keep getting attacked, teetering on the brink of being swallowed up in Darkness. It's up to a boy I know to save them."

"Wait, a boy?" Aqua bursts, a renewed hope igniting in her chest. "Is his name Terra, or Ven?"

The man shakes his head, and her hope begins to wither again. But it doesn't die just yet; the man takes on a smile to his tone. "His name is Sora. And he is getting stronger every day, fighting for his friends and for the good of others. He is a kind-hearted young man, and he has much potential."

Aqua's heart nearly skips a beat. Her breathing stills. "Sora…" she repeats breathlessly, and the name rings a clear bell: the little brunet boy she met on the beach of Destiny Islands, the world where the star-shaped paopu fruit grows. Her hope burns brighter, restored now. "Sora," she says again, firmer this time. "Yes, you're right. He does have potential."

"You know him?" the man questions, curious.

"I met him, once," Aqua remarks softly. "When he was maybe four or five years old. He had a friend with him: Riku. Terra passed the power to wield the Keyblade to Riku, and I could sense more Darkness in Riku's heart than in Sora's. They reminded me a lot of my friends, Terra and Ven. But I have a feeling that things will be different with them. I have a feeling that history won't repeat itself, not entirely. There's hope, if Sora is involved." She smiles to herself. "I knew from the moment I touched him that he was special. He was pure." She laughs sadly, weakly. There isn't much laughter left in her, and she's surprised at herself for a moment. The Keyblade master continues, "Purer than a normal child. He felt like the sort whom others reached out to, instinctively." A slight frown decorates her features for a moment. "I wonder… if he's the sort of person that Ven decided to house his heart in."

"It's quite possible," the man replies. "It's odd; while I scarcely remember my own life and the events in it, I remember him. I remember Sora and his friends quite clearly, and I remember for a fact that Sora has housed a heart within him before. His friend, Kairi, had no Darkness in her heart, so when her heart was stolen, her body fell into a deep sleep and her heart went into Sora's."

"Kairi?" Aqua says, leaping to her feet. Her hand clenches over her heart. She sighs with relief. "So my spell worked after all."

"It was you who gave her heart that ability?" The man chuckles. "Hmm, I always wondered, and now I know."

Aqua smiles. "Yes, now you know. It was a thank-you; I saved her from some Unversed, and she gave me flowers. She didn't have to give me anything, but she wanted to. And I wanted to protect her for future times when I'm not there to save her again. She also seemed pure, in retrospect…"

The stranger nods his head beneath the hood of the cloak. "Yes, she is. She's a Princess of Heart, in fact. Pure Light, through and through. She's a good soul."

Aqua sits down again, her legs stretched out before her. "I'm glad. I'm so very glad. Even if I'm trapped here, I know that there is good in the worlds still. In people like Kairi and Sora. But what of Riku? Is he still friends with Sora?"

"Very much so, and with Kairi as well," the man informs her. "Riku was tempted by the Darkness and succumbed to it for a while, but he fought back. And he won. And now, he is a strong young fellow who sticks with his friends no matter what."

Tears trail down Aqua's cheeks. She smiles gently and looks out at the never-ending sea. "Thank goodness. He didn't wind up like Terra for long." She sighs. "I wish I knew what happened to Terra."

"And believe me, I wish I could tell you," the man says, "But I can't. I don't think I knew a Terra."

The Keyblade Master nods in understanding. "That's alright. I didn't expect you to." She sighs and touches the toe of her armored shoe to the water. "I hope he's well."

"I'm sure where ever he might be, he is thinking of you," the man assures to the best of his ability. "And as for your other friend – Ven, did you say? – I'm sure he's safe. Sora is doing a very good job at keeping the worlds safe."

"I feel better, now," Aqua remarks distantly, her eyes locked on the small orb of light in the sky. "Without having to do much, you quelled some of my worries and fears. Thank you, stranger," she says and briefly offers the cloaked man a smile.

Through the shadow of his hood, a blond goatee-framed mouth smiles softly. "You're quite welcome, my girl. I'm glad that, even with amnesia and in an empty place, I can still be of some use to someone."


	4. At Home Here

_[At Home Here]_

_[Ven and Roxas interaction, can be Roxas X Sora or Ventus X Roxas if you wish]  
_

I feel at home here. I know that I should be someplace else – I know that there is something missing – and yet, I can't bring myself to care all that much. From where I'm resting, this place is my home. It has a soft glow to it, warm and full of light. It's peaceful here, and in this place, I feel no pain, no sorrow.

Memories are thrown into the mix here and there; scattered memories of island beaches, children laughing, and star-shaped fruits hanging high above in palm trees. There are memories of races and wooden sword fights, and memories of finding a girl washed up on the beach. Memories, I know, that do not belong to me.

My own memories are growing hazy. I remember the simple things: my name, my friends' faces, the taste of ice cream and the feeling of my hair being ruffled. But as for my friend's names, where I come from, and who I used to be in personality…

Well, those things are fuzzier.

I can't recall the name of the tall brunet who protected me from a man with a weapon. I can, however, recall the brunet's voice, and how he would tell me that he has to leave, and that I can't come with, but that he knows I'll be there when he needs me.

I can't recall the girl's name, but I remember her soft smile and charming laughter and motherly affection. I remember her voice and how she always smelled of clean water and lightly of vanilla, but not her name. For the life of me, I can't think of the blunette's name. I remember her promising me something, but I can't remember what it was about.

And time. Time is skewed here, in this warm, bright place. I don't know how long I've been here. I don't know when I'll return to the world outside.

I am well aware, however, of another presence.

There is someone else here with me, someone who dwells a bit more in the shadows than I.

I meet him on occasion, when our paths in this place cross. He calls himself Roxas, and he looks exactly like me.

We are mirror images of one another, and we both reside in the same place: Sora's heart. Roxas explains to me that he is a Nobody, and that Nobodies are creatures born of a strong-willed heart that can sometimes take human form, as he had, and are devoid of hearts and true emotions. It reminds me of the Unversed, only less animalistic in nature, and more capable of conscious thought.

"Why do you look like me?" I ask him, and touch my hand to his face, my other hand on my own face. We are perfectly identical; nothing is different, not even our voices. We are one and the same in appearance, down to even the style of our clothing.

Roxas shrugs. "How should I know?" he replies as he gently brushes my hand off. "Maybe it's because you were here in Sora's heart before I was created. Maybe it's because you and Sora are so similar. Who knows?"

He makes fine points. I nod, but don't fully understand. Still, it's interesting. I smile at him. "Do you like it here? I mean, do you miss being your own person?"

Roxas frowns and looks away. "I'm not sure. Honestly, I don't think I was ever my own person to begin with. But Sora… he's kind, and loving, and noble. He might act like a doofus at times, but he's reliable. So, I suppose I don't mind it here, even if I miss having my own friends."

"You had friends?" I ask distantly, the brunet and blunette popping up in my mind.

Roxas nods and smiles. "Yeah. Axel. And for some reason, I can picture a black-haired girl, too, but I can't remember her name. Something makes me forget who she is, and sometimes I wonder if I made her up. But no, she's too prominent in my memories to be made up." He shrugs. "And Naminé. She's technically my friend, too, even if we don't get to spend a whole lot of time together."

I nod, listening. I don't know these people, but then again, I barely remember many people at all. It's strange, but for some reason, I can't recall much more than images. I can see snippets of my memories, but I can't piece together information along with them. Scattered sounds, glimpses of events – but nothing more. Perhaps it's because I have no body of my own? I'm not sure. But I don't mind being this way; for some reason, it doesn't bother me a great deal. It's nearly like being in heaven, if such a place exists.

I feel myself falling in and out of sleep, as per usual. I prod Roxas onward with a question, in order to have his voice (_my _voice) lull me into complete sleep. "What did Axel look like, and how did he act? Describe him to me. I want to see why you two were friends."

Even with my drooping eyes, I could see Roxas smiling. "Axel was tall; a lot taller than me. He was older, I think, but I'm not sure by how much. Age doesn't really matter to Nobodies. Anyway, he was built lean and fit, with strong arms and legs and hips that I teased were more like a girl's than a boy's." He chuckles. "He had flaming red hair stuck up in various spikes, and emerald green eyes. There were two little black triangular tattoos, one under each of his eyes. He had fire element powers, and chakram." Suddenly, a frown creeps into Roxas's tone. "I'm not sure why we were friends, really. He teased a lot and was one of the assassins of the Organization, but… he was always nice to me. He took care of me when I was a zombie during my early days of creation, and he stuck by me. He was there for me when I was confused and seeking answers. He even tried to protect me from the Organization's wrath by talking me into staying, but I couldn't take it. I left."

I hum a quick 'mm-hmm' and wait for him to continue. He nudges me.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me, Ven. I'm talking to you," Roxas remarks only half-seriously. "You asked, so I'm answering."

"I know, I know," I yawn. "But it's hard to stay awake all the time when I feel so comfortable here."

Roxas hums in agreement. "Hmm, yeah. It is. But I manage," he retorts with a slight smile. He reclines backward – surfaces aren't in this place; we are free-floating here – and folds his hands behind his head. "Hey, Ventus?"

"Yeah?" I reply lazily.

"Is this all we're ever going to be?" he murmurs with a tone that can only be described as fearful. "Reduced to presences inside a common heart?"

"I sure hope not," I answer. "I want to be able to return to my proper body and find my friends."

"Then… what about me? Or Sora, for that matter? What will happen to us if you leave?" Roxas asks, his voice tense.

My eyes fly open and I ponder that. What _would _become of them? Did I give Sora the ability to wield the Keyblade? Did I give him the ability to create Roxas? Without me, would he lose these things? It's difficult to tell. For all I know, both would have occurred even without me inside his heart since he was a child. Still, it's something to worry about.

"I'm not sure, Roxas," I answer truthfully. I turn and look over at him, our blue eyes piercing each other. "But I promise you that if I ruin anything by leaving, I'll take responsibility for it. I'll mend whatever I break."

Roxas reaches out to touch my forearm. "Thanks, Ven. Because, in all honesty…" He pauses, hesitating, the silence building up between us.

"What?" I murmur.

Roxas sighs and tears his gaze away from mine. "I never want to leave Sora. I like being with him, even if I don't have a body of my own. Maybe it's because he's my Somebody, but… I feel like I'd be incomplete without him. And if having you here means I get to 'exist' and stay with Sora, then please, Ven, don't hurry off just yet. Okay?"

I swallow, his words drying out my throat. I croak, "I'm not going anywhere just yet, Roxas. Don't worry."


	5. Echoes

_[Echoes]_

_[Ven by himself, light interaction with Sora]  
_

This place… so strange. Unlike any place ever seen, ever known. A bright light beneath, a void sky above. No other people. No other sounds. All that is heard are heartbeats. _Do-ki, do-ki._ Cautious, slow. Mesmerizing.

But a piece of the structure is missing. Broken off; jagged, torn away. Where has it gone? How can it be mended?

A voice calls out, something understood more than heard. Talking about filling the space. Talking about stopping more from slipping away. Talking about restoration and stabilization.

Agreement. And suddenly, fulfillment. The broken-off piece is repaired, replaced. Everything is as it should be. The light fades away, giving way to stained glass.

There are echoes all around. There is an awakening in the process. Dim blue eyes blinking. Moving. Slowly coming to life.

The echoes grow stronger. The unheard voice takes form. For an instant, the "new heart" reveals itself to be…

A little brown-haired boy with sky-blue eyes. Cheerful. Inviting.

And suddenly, as all grows quiet and the sanctuary dissolves, I am left opening my eyes to see the world for what feels like the first real time.


	6. Possessed Soul

_[Possessed Soul]_

_[Riku by himself, Xehanort, Terra; no pairings]  
_

Somewhere, swimming in the Dark consciousness of Riku's mind, there lies a fragment of Xehanort's Heartless that sometimes likes to penetrate the teen's thoughts and offer him a chance to regain power once more.

Normally, Riku instantly dismisses these thoughts and whispers and brushes them away like a broom and dustpan, sweeping his mind clean. But once, just once, he heard another small voice buried deep within the chambers of his heart, beckoning. Pleading.

Riku freezes. This voice sounds familiar. And all it is doing is pleading for help, to break free from the Darkness, from Xehanort. To be _himself _again.

A moment comes to mind: Riku as a child, a man with brown hair who came from another world, and the passing of power.

Did that man get possessed too? But how? He seemed to strong… and why? What would Xehanort need with this person? Unless…

Unless Xehanort was different before, and he used this person as some sort of vessel, like his Heartless already tried using Riku?

It would make sense.

Still, the silveret wonders: who does this vague voice remnant belong to? And where is this person now?


	7. Trapped Inside

_[Trapped Inside]_

_[Terra, Xehanort; no pairings]  
_

Not all prisons are confined spaces the size of entire rooms. Some of them are as small and vague as your own body.

Terra knows how this feels. Each and every day he watches, unable to change a thing, as another person controls his body and steals his youth and corrupts others and searches for answers. He watches as this person in his body, this person calling himself _Xehanort_ transforms and disfigures himself into a Heartless and a Nobody. And suddenly he's calling _Ansem _ and _Xemnas,_ whereas his true form lies in shambles, merely specks of particles in the never-ending sky. An old man with a gray goatee, gone forever, and fused instead with Terra's young self.

It's sick and wrong and confusing, and sometimes Terra would rather not think about it. And sometimes, he wishes he were trapped anywhere else but here, in his own heart; or what's left of it.

He sought power from the Darkness to protect his loved ones and prove himself capable of being a Keyblade Master to his mentor, his master, his father-figure: Eraqus.

But now? Now, everything has gone horribly awry. Things were not as they seemed, and Darkness was only the first step to a worse fate: being trapped inside his own self, locked away and barely noticed, and completely forgotten by his captor.

Nothing torments Terra more than should-have-dones and could-have-beens. And they are all that he can think of, all that he can spend his time pondering. He is left utterly alone where he is, in a cave of Darkness and caught up in a torrent of emotions that do not belong to him.

Deep down, Terra knows that all he can do is wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Until someone rescues him from this place, or until he gathers the courage and strength to save himself.

Waiting is all he can do to stay sane.

Waiting is all he has _left._


	8. AU: Refreshing Notion

_[AU: Refreshing Notion]_

_[Hinted Lea X Ventus, Roxas and Sora as friends]  
_

Lea frowns at his older siblings. "Come on, Axel! Reno! Why won't you let me play Xbox with you?"

"Because Halo Reach is a brand new game that must only be played by experts on the Halo series," Axel replies curtly. "Go find Ven and play something on his Xbox, if you want to play so badly."

"Yeah, what he said," Reno adds mindlessly, his eyes completely fixated on the plasma-screen television.

In a huff, Lea turns and storms out of the house, venturing across the yard to his neighbor's house. Cloud answers the door. "What can I do for you, Lea?" the tall blond asks with a slight smile. In the background, Lea can hear Zack (Cloud's friend, but Lea knows better; those two have to be more than friends) chatting with Roxas.

"See, I've got a little problem, Cloud. My brothers are being dickwads and refuse to let me play Halo with them. So I actually took their advice when they suggested I play video games with someone else. So, I was wondering…?" the redhead explains, his young face twisted into a hopeful, shy grin. Lea is hardly shy otherwise, but when it comes to Cloud, he's a bit unnerved. The guy has this _aura _about him…

"Say no more. I'll get him," Cloud says, and with a waving motion, permits Lea inside the house. "Ven!" the tall blond hollers. "Visitor!"

There is a quiet crashing, and then the sound of someone rushing down the stairs. As soon as Ventus spots Lea waiting with a grin in his doorway, the younger blond smiles. "Hi, Lea. Was wondering when you'd show up again."

"Well, you know. I got no one else to bother; Isa lives halfway across town, and I doubt Saϊx would appreciate me dropping in unannounced anyhow." He chuckles. "So… you're my second choice."

"Gee, thanks," Ven chuckles sarcastically. He finishes going down the last two steps before joining Lea in the living room. "Insults aside, shall we venture downstairs?"

"We shall," Lea muses, and follows his friend to the family room, where the best entertainment system in the house resides.

Ven's twin Roxas and his best friend Sora are already on the system, playing a duo round of the Watchmen video game. Roxas bites his lips in concentration as he tackles a thug as Rorschach, and Sora yelps in surprise and a different thug springs up behind Nite Owl, his playing character.

"Aw, come on you guys, we wanted to play," Lea whines, and hangs his head. "Is there no justice in the world?"

"You could always use the other TV and take the Wii with you," Roxas says without taking his eyes off of the screen.

"Yeah," Sora pipes up, cheerfully pausing the game and sending the two other boys a smile. "You can play Super Smash Brothers Brawl if you want."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Lea remarks with a wave of his hand. "I realize that I'm a lazy bum anyway. So, Ven," he says, turning to his friend, "Would you rather do something daring?"

The blond tilts his head and eyes the devious smirk making its way across Lea's lips. "…Like what?" he asks cautiously.

Lea snorts a laugh and grins wickedly, his eyes closing for a moment. "Oh, I dunno… maybe like a prank call or two?"

"You wouldn't!" Ventus fake-gasps. He knows all to well that yes, Lea would.

The redhead laughs and puts his arm around Ven as he leads them up the stairs again, toward the other staircase that leads to Ven's room. "I would. And I think it'd be fun to prank some of our other friends, since they're good sports."

Ven frowns. "This could go totally south, you know," he warns. "Especially if you plan on pranking Terra or Aqua; they have college work to do. Semester finals are coming up!"

"I know, I know," Lea assures, brushing the remark aside. "That's why I was planning on pranking some of our other friends, like Demyx and Myde, Xion, Kairi and Naminé, and of course Ienzo and Zexion."

Ven stares at the redhead for a moment before replying, "You're going to get me into a lot of trouble, aren't you?"

"Got that little factoid memorized, I see," he lightly teases in return. "But yes, I am. For the rest of your life, too, I might add."

"Great," Ventus shoots back with a roll of his eyes. "What a refreshing notion that is: someone sticking with me for life only to ruin it."


	9. Mother

_[Mother]_

_[Sora remembering Aqua, no pairings]  
_

Sora doesn't remember what it's like to have a mother. For as long as he can recall, it's always been him and his father. His father, who would row Sora and Riku out to their special island off the coast of the mainland to play. His father, who hugged him with the strength of ten bears when Sora returned home after being away for over a year, off fighting Heartless and Nobodies and sleeping in a chamber.

But in his memories, Sora can't remember a mother.

Instead, the closest thing he can recall is a blue-haired young woman who was very strong. He could tell the second she leapt down from the boardwalk onto the shore that she was a warrior. She also wore bits of armor; he remembers how the pads on her arms and the metal on her shoes gleamed in the evening light.

The brunet recalls how the woman smiled at him and Riku, and how she asked them their names. He remembers how she was softened at the sight of them, and mentioned how they remind her of her own friends. She was kind and friendly. She was warm and inviting. She touched the boys, petting them on the tops of their heads, and teaching them a lesson they would later experience.

'_Sora, you like Riku, right?'_

'_Of course I do! He's my best friend in the whole world.'_

'_Then, say, if Riku got lost… or started to go down a dark path… you'd save him, right? You'd find him and set him right again, wouldn't you?'_

'_You bet I would!'_

'_Good. And Riku, you like Sora, don't you?'_

'…_I guess so.'_

'_Mm. Then you'll protect him if he gets into trouble, right?'_

'_Of course. He's my friend, and friends matter. Friends are worth protecting.'_

'_Good. I have a feeling everything will turn out just fine for you two in the future, then.'_

If anything, this stranger had been the closest thing Sora had to a mother. In the short moments that he met her, he felt and received all of the things a mother is supposed to give: wisdom, affection, kind smiles, and warmth.

There for two minutes or so, and yet Aqua touched Sora's heart.


	10. Corrupt Distruption

_[Corrupt Disruption]_

_[Ven and Van rivalry, partial pairing]  
_

Tick-tock, tick-tock. The clock is ticking. _Hurry, hurry, hurry. _Not much time left. Everything is happening to quickly. _Go, go, go;_ it never ends!

Stop. Hault. Cease. All movement reduced to nothing. Time stills. Time runs out. Nothing is left. No seconds, no minutes, no hours. The glass in the hourglass has shattered, the chasm split wide open, the sand pouring out. It ends. Finally, it ends.

A sinister smirk formed by thin, lightly tan lips. Gold eyes digging into his very soul, piercing, burrowing deep. Black spiked hair casting a shadow over a face framed by helmet fragments.

They are together. They are one. It burns, it aches! The scars sink in, the Darkness creeps into the crevasses, and everything is molten lava and icy blackness and pain.

Breathing becomes difficult. The χ-Blade forged, grasped between fingers that used to belong to Ventus, but are now in control of Vanitas.

Ven releases a hoarse scream. It happened. It actually happened! No, no, no, no, _no!_ He must fight this. Vanitas can't win, he simple can't –!

Vanitas laughs. In their now shared awakening station, two figures – so much like yin and yan – hand in the balance of the circle of stained glass. Ven stares down at it, then across at his Dark counterpart.

"I told you that I would get you someday soon," Vanitas grins wickedly. "And that day is today. Now I have you. You're _mine._" He holds up the χ-Blade. "Isn't it beautiful? This is what we're capable of, Ventus. This is why we were born."

Ventus whips out his Keyblade and charges, the fear ebbing away, giving way to rage. He thrusts the weapon at Vanitas, but the source of Unversed simply evades the toothed edge.

"Tsk, tsk, Ventus," Vanitas scolds darkly. "You shouldn't be so rude. I was marking our triumph."

"This is no triumph!" Ven retorts, spitting the words back venomously. "This is an abomination! We could start an apocalypse, we could –"

"_Exactly,_" Vanitas nearly purrs and he leaps forward and pins Ven to the glass surface of the giant pillar below them. "And it'll be a marvelous thing, Ven, if you allow it. Master Xehanort told me all about it. You'll see; this will turn out perfectly in the end."

For a split second, Ventus thinks about it. He thinks that perhaps Van is right, and this could be a good thing. He tries to see it from his Dark half's perspective, tries to understand. But in the next moment, Terra and all that the older man has suffered because of the Darkness comes rising into Ven's consciousness, and he knows for a fact that this can't work. This can't be good at all, _ever._

Blood surges through Ven's veins. Strength rises in the pit of his stomach. He emits a battle cry, throwing Vanitas's body from his, and erasing the lingering sensation of lips muttering against his ear. He shudders and holds the handle of his weapon out to the side, the blade poised behind him.

"I'm going to destroy you and that stupid χ-Blade. It can't exist!"

Vanitas growls. "Do you know nothing, Ventus? If you destroy me, you destroy yourself. You and I are _one _now. The χ-Blade is part of us as well! Destroying it will also tear you apart, and me along with you. We are all connected."

The blond ignores this warning. He steels his heart and mind, bracing himself for what's to come. "If it will save Aqua, Terra, and the worlds, then so be it."

Vanitas withholds a conflicted tear from slipping down his cheek. He, too, tenses to brace himself for collision. "Fine, be that way. We'll see who succeeds."

And as they run at one another, on the outside, Aqua is tossed to the ground by Ven's – Van's – hand.

Even locked in battle, regret somehow manages to seep into Ventus's bones.


	11. AU: Can Someone Change?

_[AU: Can Someone Change?]_

_[Vanitas X __Naminé]_

He passes her in the park. She sits as still as a statue, save for her right arm, which is carefully making strokes onto a page of a sketchpad with an orange oil pastel. She hums a lullaby to herself, and in the warm afternoon sunlight, he realizes immediately that she is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.

"Vanitas?" Ventus stops, and glances back at his brother. "What are you looking at?"

The black-haired boy briefly looks at his sibling before returning his gaze to the girl. "Her," he nearly whispers, something highly out of character for him. His normally tense, monotone voice reveals a hint of a softer emotion.

The blond turns and searches the park landscape for the girl before his eyes land on a figure in a purely white sundress beneath an oak tree. "Oh, her? That's Naminé. She's a friend of Aqua's. She's in grade, but she's home-schooled. I see her at the bookstore a lot, looking at art books." He pauses and retreats a few steps to stand beside his brother. "Naminé is shy, though. And way too sweet for you. You're, like, her polar opposite, Van. She's a good girl, and you're a bad boy." He chuckles and slaps his brother on the back. "But hey, if you want, I can put in a good word to her for you. She sometimes joins Aqua, Terra, and I when Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Roxas show up when we go bowling each Friday."

Vanitas spins around, tearing his gaze off of the lovely artist to glare at Ven. "You better. I really like her already. Opposites attract, you know. And I swear that I'll be nice to her, unlike how I treat _you._" And he laughs darkly, giving the blond a shove. The two are stepbrothers, and look nothing alike. But they grew up together, and couldn't be more in sync. "So do we have a deal, Ven? You put in a good word and introduce us this Friday, and I'll promise to behave around her."

Ventus sighs, but soon gives a shrug. "Yeah, okay. I guess people can change if they really want something… or, in this case, some_one."_ He smiles. "Just don't break her heart, alright? Because I don't know if you realize this by looking at her blonde hair, blue eyes, and jaw line, but: her father? Yeah, he's Mr. Strife. Your Metals Workshop teacher."

Vanitas's jaw nearly falls off of his face. Gaping, he sputters, "What?"

And Ven simply laughs. Van will have to change if he wants to date Naminé; otherwise he will be reduced to a bloody puddle. Teacher he may be, Cloud Strife takes shit from _no one._


	12. AU: Absorbed

_[AU: Absorbed]_

_[Sora X Ventus]  
_

Sora stares off into space, sighing occasionally. Beside him, Riku nudges the brunet's arm. "Hey, are you even paying attention to the professor?" the silveret questions with a quirk of his eyebrow.

But his best friend is shaking his head. "…No, not really…"

Riku rolls his eyes. He whispers, "You should be. I doubt Professor Ansem is going to repeat himself especially for you, Sora."

Sora sighs harshly, coupled with a reluctant groan. "I know, I know," he whispers back, "But I can't help it."

"Why not?"

Sora doesn't hesitate. He points to the front of the room, at a blond-haired boy sitting between a brunet and a girl with blue hair. "That's why not."

Riku follows the invisible path with his eyes until he spots the blond. "Him? You mean Ventus?"

"That's his name?" Sora murmurs, and a smile splits his mouth, revealing white teeth. "Cool name. Suits him."

Riku smirks. "Humph," he grunts smugly, "So you have a crush on Ventus. Interesting."

A blush blossoms on the slightly younger college student's face. "Wh-what? N-no, I don't…"

"Sora, I've been your friend since we were in Kindergarten together. Whenever you blush and stutter like that, and we're talking about a _person,_ I know that you're crushing on said person."

Sora's head droops in defeat. "You're right," he admits in a mumble. "But I can't help myself. I feel like… I have this connection to him, you know?"

"Then why don't you talk to him after class?" Riku suggests, ever the initiative-taking type. He jerks his head in Ven's direction without breaking eye contact with his friend. "I'm sure that whatever 'connection' you feel will present itself if you talk to him. Who knows? Maybe he likes all the same music as you, or loves all the same movies."

"Yeah, but… what if he's not… you know…"

"Gay?" Riku offers with a bored tone. Sora can never say his own sexuality aloud. Riku understands, though; it's not extremely popular to be homosexual. Still, he doesn't mind that Sora likes boys. Riku is happily dating a ruby-haired girl named Kairi, so as along as Sora doesn't hit on him and definitely won't steal Kairi away, Riku is at ease with it.

"Y-yeah. And what if he _is,_ but he's dating that brown-haired guy next to him? He sure is friendly with him," Sora mutters, embarrassed. He glances down at his notes, only half-taken. The other half sports doodles of Ventus, mainly back-views and side-views, since that's all Sora sees during class when he draws. He's quite the artist… in that cartoonish, anime-style way.

The silveret places his hand on Sora's shoulder in consolation. "You won't know until you try speaking to him," he reminds.

Sora straightens in his seat and nods his head firmly. "Yeah, you're right! I need to be open-minded. I'll do it! I'll talk to him today. I usually see him and his two friends hanging out at the cafeteria on the street level of the dorms. I'll just walk up to him, and say, 'Ventus, I –'"

"What about me?" the blonde suddenly says. Class has ended, and he was simply walking past the pair toward the exit when he heard his name.

Riku blinks in surprise. His eyes slowly pan over to Sora, who is blushing furiously and gaping up at Ven. He stands abruptly, and begins to stutter, "U-uh, well, you see, I-I was wondering if… um…"

The silveret spots the tall brunet friend of Ven (Riku thinks he's heard the name 'Terra' in passing) walking back through a crowd to see what's keeping his younger friend. Riku realizes in a flash that he has to save Sora before things get too awkward.

"Sora wanted to know if you'd like to hang out with him sometime, maybe for hot chocolates at the café downtown? – Sora doesn't like coffee, you see," Riku blurts out, and as he glances quickly at Sora, the brunet gives his best friend a mouthed, 'thank you.'

Ventus smiles and looks over at Sora as he adjusts his hold on his textbooks. "Really? I don't like coffee, either. Sure, I'd love to hang out with you, Sora."

And as Terra grabs Ven and starts walking away, the blond hastily scribbles his cell phone number onto a Post-It note and hands it to Riku, who's closer. He waves goodbye, and minutes later, the pair is walking outside into the courtyard.

"Oh my gosh, I have Ventus's number!" Sora squeals like a teenage girl. He turns to Riku and gives a little bow. "I can't thank you enough, Riku. You really saved my butt in there!"

"Yeah, I pretty much got you a date, so you're in debt to me for at least a month. Starting with buying me whatever I want for lunch today."

Sora laughs. "Deal." He sighs happily. "I'm just glad that you can tell when I'm absorbed in something, and know how to help me out. I think I'd be lost without you around, Riku."

The older boy snorts. "Got that right."


	13. Genderbent AU: Camping Trip

_[Genderbent AU: Camping Trip]_

_[Aqus X Terra, one-sided Replica X Namino, hinted Sora X Kai]  
_

Terra lay with her legs crossed at the ankles, her hands laced behind her head. The grass is damp with dew beneath her, the sun a slow-rising orange orb peeking over the hills. Behind her, noises sprout from the tent on the campgrounds. The brunette stirs, her eyelids flutter open to reveal dark blue eyes.

"Terra, did you stay out here all night again?" Venta sleepily murmurs as she stumbles out of the tent, one hand rubbing her eye. "You're going to catch a cold one of these days."

"Sorry, Venta," Terra amends as she forces herself to sit up. She glances around the campsite at some of the other tents. "Are we the only ones awake this early?"

Venta shakes her head, her blonde pixie cut hanging limp. She inwardly winces, wishing she could wash out her hair. "No, I think Riku and Vanita are awake. Maybe Kai or Aqus, but I know Sora and my sister are still asleep."

"Yeah, Roxi does like to sleep in a lot," Terra lightly smiles. She points her thumb backward, toward the tent behind her. "What about Namino and Xion?" Terra asks. "Are they up yet? Or Replika, for that matter?"

"Replica's right there," Venta giggles, pointing behind Terra. She jerks backward, nearly losing her balance as she peers over her shoulder. She smiles at the silver-haired girl. "G'morning, Replica. Sleep alright?"

"No," Replica pouts. She slops down between the brunette and blonde to join in the early-morning conversation. "My cousin kept me up all right. She kept stealing the sheets," she remarks, complaining about Riku like always. "And you missed it last night around the fire, Venta: Riku started flirting with Namino again. Why does this always happen to me? She takes everything that I want!"

"Oh, I know. But I think Riku just likes teasing you, that's all." Venta replies sympathetically. She nods her head. "Roxi and I might be twins, but we're so different. But the one thing we have in common, the people we like... Well. It's the same as you and your cousin."

Replica grinds her teeth in agitation. She shakes her head and stands up. "I'm going to the bathroom. Pardon me," and she leaves, wandering into the trees of the forest around them.

Sora and Kai emerge from their tents at the same time, and Kai's older brother, Aqus, tags along not shortly afterward. "Good morning, everyone!" Sora chirps brightly; she's always been a morning person.

Next to her, Kai rakes a hand through his shaggy ruby red hair. He plops down near Sora, in front of the dead fire. "We should stoke this back up and get breakfast started," he says with a smile. "I could cook for everyone."

"I'll help you," Namino yawns as he emerges from his own tent, his sketchpad clutched in his hand. He carries it with him everywhere, in case inspiration for a drawing strikes him. "You don't have to cook all by yourself, Kai."

Kai laughs. "Yeah, okay. Thanks, Nami-kun."

Blushing a little, the blond brushes off the affectionate nickname and shrugs his shoulders. "It's no big deal," he mutters. He turns and goes to retrieve some of the firewood stacked up near one of the tents. Meanwhile, Kai fetches Lea's lighter; she used to smoke, and still carries her lighter with her to remind her not to go back to her bad habit. Also, she likes fire. Go figure.

Once the fire is started up again, the group – now complete with everyone up and wake, circled around the fire pit – gets out paper plates. They're served one at a time, and soon everybody is chatting and eating, slowly waking up their minds and bodies from their groggy states.

"I love camping," Xion smiles to himself as he tosses his empty paper plate into the fire. Watching it burn, he turns and grabs a kettle from his pack. "Does anybody want coffee or tea or cocoa? I brought some instant stuff and some foam cups with me."

"I'll take some," Riku says tiredly. "I need coffee in order to wake up most mornings." She pulls back her long silver hair into a low ponytail as she says this.

"Anyone else?" Xion asks, flipping his black hair out of his eyes.

"Terra, Aqus, and I want some tea, please," Venta answers. She turns to her twin sister. "Do you want something, Roxi? You're awfully quiet this morning."

Roxi fumbles with her shoelaces. Beside her, Lea leans forward and peers at her face. The redhead fingers one of her multiple ear piercings while she asks, "Roxi, is something wrong? We're all camping together; you should be having fun!"

The blond sighs. She looks between her twin and her girlfriend and feels torn. "I… I really don't know, guys," she answers softly. "I just woke up in a depressed mood this morning. I'm sure it'll pass," she adds, forcing a small smile.

Xion leans over and touches Roxi's arm. "Aw, cheer up, Roxi. We're going to have fun today; today's the day we hike down to the lake for a swim, remember?"

Roxi brightens enough to smile genuinely. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. That _will_ be fun."

"And guess who brought sea-salt ice cream in a dry-ice cooler?" Lea remarks proudly. She smirks and stands, heading into her tent for a moment. She returns with a hand-cooler, something just big enough for a load of ice creams, one for each of them. Dangling the cooler in Roxi's face, she says, "But I brought an extra one for you, hun. Since I memorized the fact that you love sea-salt ice cream so much and don't get it often. Want the extra one now, to make you feel better?"

Roxi giggles. "Yeah, sure. Thanks, Lea."

Next to Venta, Vantia leans over to whisper in Venta's ear, "Someone's looking to get some on this trip, buttering up her girlfriend like that."

Venta blushes and turns to smack the gold-eyed girl. "Vanita, don't be so crude!" she hisses back, shocked. "I swear, you're horrible sometimes, nothing like your younger sister."

Vanita snorts. "No one can be like Sora. It's impossible. She's just too perfect." She shakes her head. "And besides, I like being crude. It makes you and everyone else react in such hilarious ways." And she grins broadly, flashing her teeth.

Venta frowns. "You're horrible, Vanita."

"I know~," the black-haired girl smirks. "It's just in my nature."

Aqus stands up suddenly, startling everyone. He smiles and yanks Terra to her feet, nearly causing the brunette to fall over. "Come on, people! It's time to get ready to go on a hike! Come on, hop-to, hop-to! We should all get our bathing suits on under our fresh clothes, and then go for a dip. It'll be refreshing and almost like bathing, since some of us feel a little grungy." He chuckles and glances over at his girlfriend. "Right?"

Terra scoffs and takes her arm out of her lover's grip. "Stop reading my mind, Aqus. It's creepy."

The blue-haired young man simply laughs. Soon, everyone is retreating to their tents to change, girls in two of them and boys in the remaining one. It's going to be a good day; Sora can tell. She smiles to herself while she changes, swapping smiles with Venta and Riku while she's at it.


	14. Missing Piece

**A/N: This is mine and my sister's brainchild. We came up with it together, although the idea is mainly hers, I just modified it a little. ;D**

* * *

_[Missing Piece]_

_[Aqua, Riku, and Roxas interaction, hints at Aqua X Ventus]_

She hears voices talking in the distance. But who would be _here,_ in the realm of Darkness? What human being would dare tread its grounds? How could someone get to this place, unless they dove straight into the Darkness and had no way of getting out, like her own case?

Aqua shakes her head, unsure of the answers to these questions. Still, she needs to know who the voices belong to, and if they know a way of getting away from this place.

The bluenette stands from her resting place inside a small cave and cautiously makes her way towards the voices.

"I've been to see him," a man's voice remarks. "He looks a lot like you."

_His voice…_ Aqua thinks, pausing in her steps, _It's so familiar…_

"Who are you?" a younger male's voice responds, and Aqua's heart skips a beat.

"Ven?" she whispers to herself, and retreats a step. She would recognize that voice anywhere! But why is he here? And who's with him? And how did he get his heart back and wake up? Unless Terra –

A gasp escapes her throat, and she begins rushing closer to the source of the voices.

"I'm what's left. Or… maybe I'm all that ever was." The older-sounding male is visible now, perched on a rock near the water.

Aqua can see both of them now. They are dressed in black cloaks, exactly like the one the mysterious man she fought once had been wearing. The man with the glowing blue weapons.

The shorter male (possibly Ven?) seems to tense. His voice sounds like he's frowning. "I meant your _name,_" he retorts.

"My name is of no importance," the man answers calmly. "What about you? Do you remember your _true_ name?"

The boy glances downward, his hood hiding his face. "My true name… is…" he sighs, reluctant. "Sora."

"Sora," Aqua stills, but she's too close. Both figures heard her. She is lost in a small memory now, one of two young boys on an island, a brunet boy and a silver-haired boy, Sora and Riku –

"Who goes there?" the taller male responds to the sound of Aqua's voice. He turns and looks at her, his face shadowed by the hood of his own black cloak.

Aqua staightens and brings her hands up near her chest to guard herself. "Aqua," she replies calmly. She decides to give her title, in case either of these boys attempt a fight; they should know who they're dealing with. "Keyblade Master Aqua. And you are…?"

The boy removes his hood, his lips parted in awe and his blue eyes lit up with curiosity. "Keyblade?" he repeats, interest in his tone. But Aqua barely notices. She's too busy gaping at the de-hooded boy's face and hair.

"Ventus?" she murmurs, caught off-guard. Tears sting her eyes. "Ven, is that really you? You don't look a day older! When did you get your heart back?"

The blond boy stares at her, frowning in confusion. "I believe you have me confused with someone else," he answers stiffly.

"What? How can I? Ven, I'd know your face and voice anywhere! Please, you have to remember me – no amnesia could take your memories that easily, could it? Come on," she pleads, nearly crying, "You know me, Ven. I'm Aqua, your friend Aqua; I promised you that I'd help get your heart back to your body –"

"Stop calling me that," the blond boy answers sternly. "That's not my name. And besides, I have no heart. Nobodies don't possess hearts of their own, and can never get one unless they rejoin their Somebodies."

"Nobodies?" Aqua questions. She's heard that term before, muttered among Master Eraqus and Master Yen Sid as a probability of the future, something about creatures born the same time as a Heartless, something about them being shells of a former being –

"Yes," the blond twin of Ven's scowls, and still the taller figure says nothing. "Nobodies. I'm the Nobody of Sora. My given name is Roxas."

"Roxas…" Aqua parrots, disappointment in her tone. "So you really aren't Ven." She holds back her tears by forcing a smile. "Sorry that I mistook you. It's just… you look and sound exactly like him. Ghosts of my past seem to pop up now and then."

"If it's any consolation," Roxas responds in a gentler tone, "You're in a memory of Sora's that I've dreamt about before. You met him when he was a child, didn't you?"

She nods her head. "Yes. I remember that day. I was looking for my friends when I stumbled across Sora… and his best friend, Riku."

The taller figures suddenly stirs. He stands up suddenly, his head turning to look at her. "You know a Riku?"

"Huh?" she says, startled. "Yes, I did. He had silver hair and aquamarine eyes. He was a very sincere boy, like my friend Terra. When I met him, he already possessed the power to wield the Keyblade." She tilts her head to the right. "Why? Do you know a Riku as well?"

The man tenses, his hands clenching into fists. "Once upon a time, I did," he replies softly. "Now I'm not so sure any more."

"Why not?" Aqua asks, searching the shadows of his hood for any sort of facial expression she could read.

"He's been lost to the Darkness, and he's trying to find his way back to the Light again," the man answers. Roxas stares at him, then at Aqua.

"I fought a Riku before," he says coldly. "The same Riku who's in Sora's memories. Some friend he must have been, leaving the way he did in search of power." He snorts. "But who knows? Maybe I'm wrong about him. Maybe he only left in order to get the power he needed to protect his friends. I would've done the same thing. In fact…" he summons a Keyblade, startling Aqua yet again. She gapes at its black color with dark blue crystals and sharp-edged teeth. But then a second Keyblade appears in Roxas's other hand, a light white one with sunny yellow and sky blue accents, its teeth the nearly shape of a wayfinder. "I did try to do the same thing. I left the Organization in search of answers about the Keyblade, hoping I could master it to save my friends… and myself."

Aqua understands now. She suddenly sees that Darkness is not all bad, and that sometimes, it's only resorted to because of the people the person who seeks it cares about. That must have been what Terra was doing all those years before.

The bluenette turns to the taller figure. "Can I see your face?" she asks. "Please? I won't tell anyone who you are. I have yet to leave this place anyhow."

Hesitantly, the taller figure complies. He shrugs his hood off and Roxas leaps back a step. "_You!"_ he hisses.

But once again, Aqua doesn't notice. Her ghosts of her past seem to love to torment her.

The face of the older boy is tan and long, his eyes a golden brown, and his hair a silvery white. But she knows that face. It's Terra's face, even with Master Xehanort's features merged with Terra's own. Yes, this boy's hair is in a different style, and it's too long, but how can she miss all of the other similarities?

"Who… are you, exactly?" she remarks distantly, her voice aching. She brings a hand up to her chest to calm her racing heart. "Your face…"

The taller male glances away, disgusted with himself. "It's the face of Darkness," he murmurs frostily. The leather gloves on his hands squeal when he clenches them even tighter. "Nothing like how it used to be."

"But… what is your _name?"_ she asks, and across from them, Roxas scowls.

"Yeah! You said it was 'of no importance,' but Aqua and I deserve to know who we're dealing with. In fact… I think I recognize you. You look a lot like the Surperior, and –" he cuts himself off as realization strikes. "I've fought against you before! You're – you're Riku! You took off that blindfold and unleashed some sort of power, and looked like _that!"_

"Riku?" Aqua repeats, dumbfounded. "So this is what's become of you?" A hurt expression decorates her features. "So you got lost and went down a dark path after all. I bet Sora is looking for you."

"No, he's asleep," Roxas grinds out between clenched teeth. "That's why I'm going to him. He needs me to complete his broken memories and mend his fractured heart. He needs me, or else he can't wake up. And that's what you want, isn't it, _Riku?_ You want Sora awake again so he can fix all of the mistakes you've made."

"He's my friend, too," Riku spits back, defending himself. "It's my fault he lost his memories at Castle Oblivion, since he was only there in search of King Mickey and me."

Aqua can't take it any longer. Castle Oblivion? King Mickey? It's too much! Her past is swarming all around her, about to engulf her whole, body and mind and heart and soul. She holds her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth in disbelief as she retreats a couple steps. About to fall on her knees, she hunches over to the ground.

Roxas's face morphs from that of anger directed at Riku to concern directed at Aqua. He turns and looks at her, the image of holding one's head in pain all too familiar to him. "Aqua?" he says, taking a cautious step closer to the un-aged woman. "Are you okay?"

She breathes out slowly, and then forces herself to stand properly. One fingerless gloved hand rakes back her hand from her face. "I'm… fine," she breathes, and shakes off Roxas's held out hand. She doesn't need him to stabilize her. But for a moment… for a brief moment, he had sounded and acted like Ven. She takes comfort in this small miracle, this small token of reprieve for her damaged heart. "Thank you."

Roxas offers a small smile. "I may be a Nobody," he responds quietly, "But that doesn't mean I refuse any sort of feelings of worry or care. They could be illusions for all I know, but a person in pain is a person in pain."

"What's hurting you?" Riku asks suddenly, causing Aqua to stare at him oddly. These two boys – Roxas and Riku, both tinted by Darkness and practically strangers to her, and yet they're here for her in this moment.

She smiles at them both. "Don't worry about it. It's my own problem, my own burden."

Riku nods, completely empathetic. "I know how that is."

"Do you at least need help getting out of this place?" Roxas asks. He summons a portal. "I can take you to another world, one you might know. Have you ever been to Twilight Town?"

Aqua looks into the portal. Shying away from it, she shakes her head. "No, I can't say I have. But I don't want to travel by means of Darkness. I've had enough of it, thank you. I'll find another way."

"Okay, suit yourself," the blond shrugs. He turns to leave. But before he goes, he glances over his shoulder at her. "Um, Aqua?"

"Yes, Roxas?"

Riku himself makes a portal of his own and exits without a word.

Meanwhile, Roxas is fumbling for the words he wanted to say. "When… I reunite with Sora, I'll be able to go where he goes, see what he sees. And, if I come across someone who looks like me –"

"Ventus," she whispers.

"Yeah, if I come across a person named Ventus – I'll be sure to tell Sora to tell him where he can find you." Roxas promises her. He seemed uncaring and aloof at first, but now Aqua sees that Roxas possesses the same qualities as he Somebody; or, at least, what she remembers of Sora from that single time she met him.

The blunette gives an open smile of gratitude. "Thank you, Roxas," she says, a lone tear escaping against her will, sliding down her cheek. "I'd appreciate it."

The blond boy gives a curt nod and a smile that lasts no longer than the blink of an eye before he disappears into the swirling portal of Darkness.

And Aqua collapses to her knees, her energy spent for the day. It's here that she allows herself to break into a sob.

How will she ever leave this place? How can she ever see the real Ven again, or Terra for that matter?

Aqua clutches her heart through her clothing.

Everything feels so torn and lost, as if there were a piece missing…


	15. Mirror Image

_[Mirror Image]_

_[Vanitas X Sora, vague Vanitas X Ventus]_

This reflection is not his own.

Each time Sora gazes into his mirror lately, he sees himself like he should – same hairstyle, same jaw line, same irises, same nose, same cheekbones – and yet it is _not_ him.

This boy in the mirror…

He is more muscular than Sora. He is the same age, but his lips sneer and his eyes glare, as if he were more experienced, more mature. And his hair; it's as black as burnt wood, as black as the night, as black as tar. His eyes haunt the most: they are tinted a bright gold, molten amber inflamed with the sparkle of gold jewelry and the unforgiving coldness of a distant winter sun.

Sora can't escape his dark twin. His black-haired, golden-eyed self is in every mirror, every window, and every shiny, reflective surface.

And the mirror image can speak. It grins wickedly and has a deep, alluring, nearly expressionless version of Sora's own voice. It taunts, "You didn't fully destroy me, Ventus. And now I've found you. Your adorable little vessel that looks almost identical to me. What, you couldn't live without me? You missed me so much that you decided to find your heart a temporary host that resembles me?"

And Sora shudders, confused and afraid and not wanting to be sucked into his dark mirror image's charm, and yet he slowly _is._

"Fine, Venny-boy, don't say anything. I'll just have fun with the Other Me instead." And his gaze goes from staring into Sora's chest at his heart to looking Sora directly in the eye, gold meeting blue, fire meeting water, sun meeting sky. "Hello, Sora," he almost purrs, and he presses one hand against the glass. "Ventus probably wasn't kind enough to open his heart to yours and share memories. So you have no idea who I am, do you?"

Sora shakes his head, his eyes wide in shock, his body frozen in a gape at the mirror in his bedroom. He had no idea another person was even in his heart, let alone –

The black-haired version of Sora sighs and shakes his head. "Too bad. That makes me feel silly, because now I have to introduce myself." He looks up, face serious, and leans in close to the glass. "My name is Vanitas."

"Van… itas…" Sora sounds out breathlessly, fear seizing his lungs and squeezing lightly. Vanitas nods, another eerie smile breaking out on his lips.

"Yes, that's right. And you know, I like you, Sora. You're a big hero, but you're a hero with a smidgen of Darkness inside of you. Almost… Heartless-esque. An anti-Sora, you might say. And even a touch of Nobody. You're like a funhouse of special abilities, aren't you?" And he laughs crazily in Sora's face, his dark chuckle rebounding as if from inside the mirror, a glass prison. "Funny. You're like Ventus, except without the ability to make a χ-Blade. But still, you are very unique. I wonder: what makes you the 'chosen one'? Why is your destiny so intricate?" He scowls, his fingers squeaking against the glass until they form into a fist, and he brings his backward only to slam it against the mirror in anger. "Why do you deserve to succeed all the time? Why is your existence so valuable?"

Sora curls into a ball and covers his head with his hands, his eyes squeezing shut. "I don't know, I don't know! Leave me alone, Vanitas! Please!"

"No…" Vanitas says, panting a little to quell his rage. "No, I don't want to leave. I don't want to stop existing, to go back to where I was. I like it here. You frustrate the hell out of me, but I like you, too. I liked Ventus, even if I still hold a grudge on his for trying to end me." He smiles suddenly, and reaches out to stroke the glass, as if he could touch Sora. "I'll be tame. I'm sorry. I'll be civil and tame, if you let me stay, Sora." And he offers his most innocent look, but Sora isn't sure if he's buying it.

Still, Sora feels compelled to comply. He shakily approaches the mirror and lines up his hand with Vanitas's. For a moment, he can feel warmth coming from the other side. Then, only the cool touch of a looking glass. "A-alright," the brunet agrees quietly. "I'll let you stay, Vanitas. Just… don't become furious again."

Vanitas smiles as softly as he's capable. "Oh, I swear to it, Sora," he says quite convincingly this time.

Sora knows that it's a lie.


	16. AU: Slumber Party Bonding

_[AU: Slumber Party Bonding]_

_[Aqua X Kairi X Naminé X Xion, hinted Axel X Roxas]_

Xion casually slips her arms around Naminé's neck, peering over the blond's shoulder to see what she's drawing this time.

The black-haired girl tilts her head. "Looks a lot like Roxas, or Ventus. Is it one of them?"

"Yes; how'd you know? He's only a floating head and shoulder set without hair," Naminé remarks, lifting her pencil off of the paper. There's a face on the floating, bald head, but that's about it. How could she tell?

Xion smiles and shrugs. "I just know your drawing style, Naminé. And it's not like you haven't drawn one of the twins before." She tickles the blond's ear with her breath, causing the artist to shiver pleasantly. Xion doesn't notice. "So which twin is it?"

"Roxas," Naminé says with a gentle smile. "And after I finish drawing him, I'll add Axel behind him with his hand on Roxas's shoulder."

"Cute," Xion giggles. "They'd love to see it."

Naminé shrugs. "I hope so."

"You never have enough confident in your art, Naminé! It's such a shame, too, since I love it so much. You're amazing," Xion says, encouraging the blonde. She looks up and waves to Kairi across the room. "Right, Kairi? Naminé is an amazing artist, right?"

Straddling a chair backwards, Kairi sits erect while Aqua sits in another chair behind her, braiding her hair into nearly two-dozen miniature braids to ensure that the crimson-haired girl will have perfectly crimped hair come morning.

Kairi tries her hardest to resist the urge to nod. "Mm-hmm," she hums in agreement. "Nami-chan is the best. I love her art."

"See?" Xion winks, turning back to the mousy girl. "I told you Roxas and Axel would like it. When you're finished, you can show it to them at school. It'll embarrass Roxas, but Axel will boast and brag. It'll be great." And she touches Naminé's shoulder before heading over to the mini-fridge in the dorm for an ice cream bar. "Does anyone else want one?"

"I'll take one," Aqua calls while she finishes the last braid. "I've earned it. Look at all my hard work!" and the senior laughs a little, gesturing to Kairi's head. "You look weird now, though. Like you have cornrows or dreadlocks or something."

Kairi glances in the mirror. She shrugs carelessly. "Meh, it's not so bad. Besides, it's not like I have a hot date to run off to looking like this. I'm just with you guys." She giggles, and then turns to get off her chair and face the older girl behind her. "Thanks for the help, Aqua!" And she leans over to hug the blunette, squeezing her tightly.

The older girl laughs and returns the hug. "No problem. And if you'll excuse me," she adds, pulling out of the embrace, "I have a sea-salt ice cream bar with my name on it waiting for me." And she stands and paces over to Xion, who is happily sucking on the tip of her bar as she holds out Aqua's to her.

Taking the wooden stick into her grasp, Aqua spins on her heel and points at Naminé. With the ice cream at her lips, she says into the frozen treat, "You, missy, are the only one not in your pajamas. I feel uncomfortable just looking at you! Why won't you change?"

Naminé blushes and looking down at her sketchbook as she closes its cover. "I… I don't like changing in front of others. I… well, in gym class, I always changed in one of the bathroom stalls."

"Oh, come _on_, Nami-chan," Kairi says with a roll of her indigo eyes. "This may be a boarding high school, but it's an _all-girls _boarding high school. Why are you so self-conscious? I mean, we're all friends here!"

"Yeah, but…" Naminé protests softly, curling in on herself, "It's just…"

"Don't tell me you're ashamed of something?" Kairi says, concerned. She steps over and leans forward, hands on her knees, as she peers into her friend's face. Her braids fall from behind her shoulders and dangle between the two. "You shouldn't be; your body is beautiful, Naminé. You don't have an inch of fat on your frame, and you're totally in-shape for an artist that does nothing but walk around campus. So what gives? Do you have a secret tattoo or a huge birthmark or something?" she playfully teases.

Xion flushes and looks down at herself. "That might not be it, Kairi. Maybe… Naminé is ashamed of… her breast size," she offers quietly. She looks around the room, avoiding the others' eyes. "I know _I _am. I'm as flat as a boy! And Naminé, well… she's not as _developed _as you and Aqua, Kairi. So if that's what she's embarrassed about, I can understand why completely."

The redhead frowns. Placing her hands on her hips, she straightens up to full height. "Naminé Strife! If that's what's bothering you, then you're being absolutely ridiculous! Boobs aren't everything."

Naminé turns as red as a fire engine. "I… guess you're right, Kairi." She pauses. "And… thanks, Xion; that _is _what was bothering me," she adds in a whisper, quickly sending Xion a grateful look. "I just don't feel comfortable changing in front of people, no matter how much I try to convince myself that it's fine."

Aqua finishes up her ice cream and steps over to hand Naminé her bag. "Here, hun. You don't have to change in gym in front of people, but walking through the dorm hallways in your PJs after changing in the bathroom might be just as embarrassing as changing in front of us right here, right now, so I say you just go with the less public embarrassment." She offers a reassuring smile. "And remember: there's always your bra protecting you."

"True," Naminé replies with a slightly nervous giggle. "Alright, you guys win. I'll change now. Only, don't stare, okay?"

"I dunno if I'll be able to help myself," Kairi teases. "You're just too cute, Nami-chan."

The blonde pretends not to hear this remark, but her flushing cheeks tell all. She quickly tosses her long, lavender shirt over her head, slips out of her leggings, and proceeds to slink into the silky-soft fabric of her white nightgown decorated in embroidered rosebuds at the neckline and bottom rim.

"That's adorable," Aqua comments as Naminé stuffs her dirty clothes into her bag. "Where'd you get that?"

"Th-this?" the blond stutters, figuring out that Aqua is talking to her about her nightgown. She clutches the sides of the dress. "It was my grandmother's. She left me all of her nightgowns when she died, since I loved wearing them so much as a kid. They finally fit me properly, now. My grandmother was a very small woman." She smiles fondly and does a small twirl before plopping down onto Aqua's bed; they're in her dorm, since seniors get the privilege to room by themselves if they so choose.

"That is so sweet," Xion remarks as she sits down next to Naminé. Kairi joins the two on Naminé's other side, and Aqua sits beside Kairi. The four dangle their feet off the edge of the mattress and ponder what to do next. It's not very late yet; only eight thirty.

Xion finishes her ice cream and tosses the stick toward the garbage can, miraculously making it in. Kairi turns to the other three and gives a devious smirk. "We should play truth or dare."

Aqua rolls her eyes. "Kairi, why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Because, Aqua-oneechan," she answers as she stands up to face them directly, "I am the master of dares and you know it."

"Here we go," Xion laughs, flopping backward, her knuckles brushing the other side of the bed. "Leave it to Kairi to come up with dirty slumber party games."

"Not dirty," Kairi sniffs, offended. "I'm no perv, thank you. And besides, it's all in good fun! You get to chicken out up to five times, since I'm nice. And it'll be a good way for all of us to get to know each other even better."

"Okay, then let's play." And surprisingly, it's Naminé who says this. She stands and sends Kairi a grin unbefitting her innocent face. "You're up first, Kairi: truth, or dare?"


	17. Love Triangle

_[Love Triangle]_

_[Ven X Aqua X Terra X Ven]_

It stings when you discover that the person you love is in love with someone else. And it wounds when you know that the love that lasts the longest is the love that is never returned. And even further, it scars when you realize that this love is a perfect triangle, one leading into the other, never-ending, like a circle with sharp edges. It cuts deep, it burns fiercely, it hurts like nothing else.

Ventus finds out the hard way. The unassuming blond is on his way to give Aqua a small token of gratitude for her gift to him. His emerald wayfinder is beautiful and had been made with heart, and he wants to give the blunette something nice in return. Admittedly, he holds feelings for her that go beyond friendship; he can't help blushing around her at times, nor help how he occasionally is at a loss for words when she speaks to him. He cares a lot about her, and takes every ounce of care she hands back to him.

Aqua is Ven's everything.

But as he finds her in one of the halls of Master Eraqus's castle, she's already chasing after Terra, calling out to him as she skitters to a halt beside him when he stops for her. Ven pauses, stills. They can't see him where he stands, but he can hear them just fine.

"Terra!" Aqua pleads, sounding desperate. "Please, don't go… I know what you're planning, and it can only end in sorrow."

"I need to leave," the brunet replies stiffly, his tone tenser than usual. "There are things that I must do."

"But…" Aqua begins softly, her head bowing. She clasps her hands together and wrings her fingers near her chest. "We'd all miss you. Something bad could happen to you, and we'd never see you again." She sucks in a shaky breath, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip. Her lip slips and forms a frown. "No, that's not what I meant." She stares up at Terra suddenly, her blue eyes piercing. "_I_ would miss you. _I _might never see you again. You can't go, Terra, because _I love you,_" she says firmly, her hands tightening their grip on one another.

Terra stares at her for a lasting moment. Then, coldly, he brushes her gaze off and turns the opposite way, returning to his brisk pace in the direction he initially intended. He mutters something, but Aqua and eavesdropping Ven both don't catch it.

"What did you say?" The young woman calls, and jogs to try to catch up. "Terra, wait!"

"No!" he retorts, and his voice unusually distant, cold. He sighs heavily, regrettably. He spins on his heel to face her again. "It's not… fair, Aqua," he mutters, and Ven almost doesn't catch it. Terra visibly grinds his teeth for a second, followed by a run over his scalp with his nails. His fists clench at his sides. "I… I don't love you like that. I care about you a lot, but… to me, you're just a friend or surrogate sister. I'm sorry, Aqua. I really, really am. I don't like hurting you, but I dislike lying to you even more."

Aqua is in shock, but she slowly recovers and ducks her head. She murmurs softly, "I… understand, Terra. I'm sorry, too." She looks up again, and while tears start to overflow, she smiles warmly at him. "I can't stop you from leaving, if you're truly determined. I guess… I just wanted an excuse to tell you how I felt. I don't like lying, either, and keeping the truth from someone is the same as lying." She sends one last smile before turning and running back down the hall, a choked sob escaping her lips, only heard as a rebounding echo.

Ven scowls and decides to show himself, turning around the corner and startling Terra. "Ven," the brunet says, his brooding expression giving way to mild surprise. "Where did you come from?"

"I heard everything," the blond says firmly, and he watches as Terra blinks at him, the words taking a second to process in the older boy's mind.

Terra's expression flickers from comprehension to repentance. "It's not what you think."

"How so?" Ventus ventures. He moves one foot forward, glaring. "I can never forgive you for hurting Aqua like that! She doesn't deserve cold rejection! You could have now answered her, or lied, or _something!_" He bursts out, unfamiliar rage burning in the pit of his gut.

"Ven, you don't understand," Terra sighs, not at all in the mood for an argument.

"Then explain it to me," Ventus snaps, stepping as close as he dares. He keeps Terra's direct gaze, despite the fact that he has to crane his neck upwards to hold it.

"It's… complicated," Terra breathes, and he seems to grow calm and still. "I love someone else. I didn't want to hurt Aqua worse later on."

"Who could be better than Aqua?" Ven asks, puzzled and still furious. "She's all anyone could want! She's strong-willed and caring, and intelligent and talented –"

"So is the person I'm in love with. But they have other qualities that Aqua can't duplicate," Terra explains quietly. Ven briefly wonders why the brunet is acting this way, but he's too angry to think about it for long.

"Like what?" Ven poses without delay. He makes a small growling noise. "Anybody would kill to have someone like Aqua love them, because she's _perfect,_ but you're telling me that someone else has better qualities than she does? I don't get it, Terra, I really don't. I can't see how –"

"Then let me show you," Terra remarks sternly, his expression dead serious. Ven blinks, momentarily stunned at the shift in attitude. But he suddenly grasps the reason for the change once Terra grips Ven's chin in his hand and steals a kiss from Ven's lips.

Ven breaks away and retreats a few steps, his hand covering his mouth. He doesn't know what to say. But the message is clear: Terra doesn't want Aqua because she isn't _him._ And Ven can't take this knowledge. He turns and runs like Aqua had, but this time, no tears are present.

How did things get so messed up?


	18. Soundless

_[Soundless]_

_[one-sided Even X Ienzo, Ienzo and Aeleus bonding]_

I never speak much. Words are a rare thing to come out of my mouth, and my own voice is foreign to me.

But I know my name. And I remind myself who I am day in and day out, to make sure that I don't lose myself. Out of all of my phobias, the thing I fear most is getting lost in the chaos and emotion of life. I don't want to become another nameless, tragic face with a tormented past.

There are some things, however, that do linger something fierce.

I sometimes dream of it, since I never allow my conscious mind to remember. I dream of my parents' deaths; I dream of the blond, scientific Even finding me; I dream of being taken to meet Ansem; I dream of being adopted. My dreams are mostly fiction, but on occasion they are of these select memories.

But some of these memories are nothing short of nightmares.

My parents dying, being witnessed over and over again is bad enough. But then the other dreams arise, the other nightmares, the ones of Even stealing me away to the confines of the supply closet in his lab, touching me, holding me down –

There is always the reprieve, though. Always the resolve at the end of the climax, the hero who spared me the worst of it.

Aeleus, a tall, rather burly man with a serious face and kind eyes, heard Even and came in to stop him. He burst in, silent and fierce, and snatched me away from the evil blond's clutches.

Ansem doesn't know. He will probably never find out. I'll be soundless forever, so long as he doesn't know such shame.


	19. Friends No More

_[Friends No More]_

_[past Lea X Isa]_

We used to be friends.

He would make a sarcastic remark, I'd counter it, and I'd laugh and he'd smile, and everything would be just peachy.

But then things changed.

We grew older. We decided to experiment, and in more ways than one.

We played Gay Chicken once. Turns out, we weren't very chicken at all. We rose to each new challenge; each new touch on the arm, cheek, and thigh; each new kiss on the hand, cheek, and lips; each new fondle on the chest, rear, and crotch. We swallowed our prides and carried on, venturing further and further into the forbidden.

Those are moments I definitely have memorized, every sensation and reaction.

But we experimented with other things as well, more things that we shouldn't have been messing with.

Like hearts.

We experimented, seeing how far we could bend until we broke, turning ourselves and our colleges into Heartless. And Nobodies.

And now, as Nobodies named Axel and Saïx – my old name, Lea, and his old name, Isa, utter abandoned – we remember everything, but we are callous and cold, and we choose to avoid and ignore each other. We experiment with nothing any longer. Not hearts, not each other, not a single damn thing.

At one point, I – or, rather,_ Lea_, since I'm not the same person anymore – thought that love was there, between us two. Isa had been my – _Lea's_ – everything. But so much has changed, and it's left us hating one another and stuck with an identity crisis.

Who am I? Lea, or Axel? I act like Axel. I introduce myself as Axel. But do I _feel _like Axel?

Hmph, now _there's _a trick question if I ever saw one.

After all, in order to feel, don't I need a heart, like the one Lea had?

But it's a moot point. Saïx and I simply carry out our daily missions and routines as if we never knew each other. It's difficult to believe that we used to be the best of friends.

It's difficult to believe that we used to be a couple.


	20. Anime like AU: Shark In The Water

_[Anime-like AU: Shark In The Water]_

_[Aqua X Terra, Aqua X Ventus]_

_[Inspired by a BBS video by Kairi13Lawliet on YouTube]_

"Aqua! Aqua, open the door, _please_!" Ventus hollers, the side of his fist beating on the door. "Aqua, I just saw _that guy_ leave, and he looked pissed! Are you all right? _Aqua!_"

There is shuffling from inside, and then she appears at the door: red-eyed, tear-streaked, and attempting a smile. "Hi, Ven," she says shakily, but warmly. "How's it going?"

"Aqua…" the blond murmurs, his heart broken at the sight of her. There are bruises on her wrists, and as she steps aside to let her friend in, she's limping. "Aqua, did he do this to you?"

She shakes her head and continues to force a small smile. "It's fine, honest. It was my fault. I know Terra's temper; I shouldn't have set him off."

Terra is the sort who turns into another person when he's ticked. His eyes turn amber and his hair flames silvery-white, and he starts acting unlike himself. He becomes violent, distrusting, and downright sinister; the polar opposite of his usual self, who is all brown hair and blue eyes and easygoing and kindhearted.

Ven brings Aqua's face between his hands, causing her to bend over to be eye-to-eye with him. "Aqua, you can't let this keep happening. I know you; and I know that you often blame yourself even when it's not your fault. And I know Terra; he's nothing but a shark in your waters, and he's dangerous." He releases her as she backs away quietly, her gaze averting and landing on the refrigerator behind her.

"Where are my manners?" she jokes, and gestures to the fridge. "Would you like a drink, Ven? Or something to eat? You're my guest, after all. We were supposed to hang out today."

"Aqua…" Ven sighs, and shuts the front door behind him before he walks into the kitchen. "You've got to stop avoiding the subject! I need you to listen to me," he tries to persuade her, but she's resisting.

"I have some citrus soda; your favorite…" she tries, and her hand comes up to play with her hair nervously, her fingers weaving and running through and over the strands repeatedly. She opens the appliance and peers inside without really looking. "Or there's some vanilla soymilk, your other favorite…"

"_Aqua,"_ Ven repeats, firmer this time. He turns her around to face him, his hands gently gripping her shoulders. She looks frightened for a moment, her crystalline blue eyes frozen, locked on his cerulean blue orbs. The refrigerator door slams shut, a booming sound in the temporary silence. "You can't keep this up forever! Please, I'm begging you: talk to me. Tell me the truth. I'm here for you, Aqua."

It's then that her tears return, and she collapses into Ventus's arms. She clings to him, sobbing desperately, trying to collect herself. Ven pets and strokes her back, warm through her clothing. He can smell her gentle, airy scent, a cross between lilies and fresh water. The blunette gasps for air a few times, but then she grows very quiet. Save for the occasional sniffle, Aqua regains her composure and wipes her eyes as she straightens herself.

"I'm sorry I broke down on you like that," she mumbles, "But I guess I was just waiting to hear those words: 'I'm here for you.' I knew all along that you were, but… I needed to _hear_ it, my mind told me. I needed to know it was really true before I laid myself out on the floor." She sighs. "Kind of like how I needed to hear Terra say, 'I love you' before I started letting him do what he wanted with me." Aqua shakes her head at herself. "I'm a fool, Ven. I love a man who abuses me, all because I thought we could work, that he could change, and that we'd last. But I'm so horribly wrong, and now I don't know how to end it. I'm afraid of him beating me even worse if I try to escape. Because he says he loves me, and yet…"

"He hurts you," the blond finishes softly, understandingly. "I know, I know," he soothes, and brings her close for another embrace. "But Aqua, there are better men out there for you than him. Men that would treat you respectfully and lovingly, without the abuse and split personality." He pauses, his nerves squeezing his heart and lungs. "Men like… _me._ I would never hurt you, Aqua. I love you, too, you know."

More tears spill out, and Aqua bites her lip. She nods her head slowly, her chin rubbing against Ventus's shoulder. "I know," she breathes almost inaudibly. "That's why… I'm going to dump Terra with you by my side. Will you lend me your strength, Ventus?"

And she pulls away, smiling genuinely, but her eyes still sad.

Ven touches her face. "For you, Aqua… _anything_. Whatever it takes, I'll do it." He even offers a pretend-cocky smile of his own, paired with a wink. "I'll punch out a hundred sharks in order to protect you, baby."

It's so out of character that Aqua laughs. "Thanks, Ventus. You always know what to say."


	21. AU: Wrong

_[AU: .W.r.o.n.g.]_

_[Vanitas X Ventus, Roxas X Sora, briefly mentioned SoKai and Namora]_

Roxas lays awake in his bed, the distracting light of the full moon keeping him up. He sighs and rolls over, trying to block the light with his back, but to no avail. Why did his blinds have to break? Now everything is too bright to sleep…

Suddenly, there's a soft creak from his door, and Roxas's eyes fly open. A shadowy figure slips into his bedroom and softly pads across the carpet to his bedside. Roxas props himself up on his elbow and peers up at the figure's face, illuminated by the bluish moonlight.

"Sora?" the blond whispers. "What're you doing in here?"

"I can't sleep," the brunet offers with a shrug. He points at the mattress. "Can I talk with you for a while, until I'm tired?"

"I guess so," Roxas responds offhandedly, and scoots back closer to the window-side of his bed, making room for his stepsibling.

As the brunet lies down, he sighs and tosses his arms up onto the spare pillow, hands on either side of his head. His fingers are curled, his palms facing upward. He sighs. "Do you think it's weird, our families living together? I mean, it's not normal, after all. Our dads getting married and bringing us into the mix. Why did they even marry our mothers and have us if they were gay all along?"

"There could be other reasons," Roxas offers quietly. "I know my dad wasn't. He really did love my mom, but then your dad came along and wooed him for something. And as for your dad… well, I think it was for appearances. Both our parents grew up during an age that wasn't very fond of homosexuals. But this is the twenty-first century, year 2010."

"True enough," Sora relents, and closes his eyes. He still isn't very sleepy, however. "But still, I wish they weren't so open about it. I mean, my dad was, like, _stalker-obsessed _with your dad at first! It was kinda weird. And he kept snorting at me every time I told him about my newest girlfriend, even if she was sweet or caring, like Naminé or Kairi." He shakes his head and looks over at Roxas. "He kept telling me that girls would only hurt me, and that other guys understand better. It's confusing."

Roxas laughs bitterly. "I know what you mean," he answers. "But my father was the opposite. He kept telling me not to go down the same route he's taking with Vanitas, because society is still unsure about gays and that you're better off with women." He shakes his head as well. "Honestly, I don't even care. I like people for who they are, not what genitals they have. I'm not a lusty person, so I could care less about sexualities." He props his head up and looks Sora in the eye. "It's a fact, you know: love is an emotion that lasts, and lust is just fleeting. And what's sexuality but a concentrated form of lust?" He pokes Sora in the chest. "Take my word for it, Sora: it doesn't matter what gender you like. It only matters about the _who._"

Sora smiles at Roxas as the blond lies back down. "You know something, Roxas? You're right. I think your dad was afraid because he fell in love with someone of the same gender, but he shouldn't be scared, because underneath my dad's devious, asshole exterior, he's actually not a bad guy. Which is why he's able to love and not just lust, I think."

Roxas nods. "Exactly. It's not wrong."

"But, Roxas…"

"Yeah?"

Sora bites his lip and looks away, his fingers curling into fists where they lie on the pillow. "Is it wrong if someone falls in love with their stepbrother?"

Roxas tenses. Slowly, his shock wear off as he stutters, "Wh-what makes you ask that?"

Sora pretends not to hear. He continues, "They're not related by blood, obviously, but they would be related legally, so what happens to them if they form a more-than-brotherly relationship, one-sided or otherwise?"

The blond is at a loss. His eyes search Sora's for a moment, questioning. Then, slowly, he reaches across the distance between them and carefully loosens Sora's fingers until he's laying Sora's knuckles in his palm. Roxas laces their fingers together, and doesn't take his eyes off of Sora's face. The brunet's lips part, but he doesn't say anything.

"Well," Roxas begins softly, "They're not related by blood, right? So it wouldn't be wrong, either, if formed a more-than-brotherly relationship, one-sided or not."

"Not even if they're both male?"

A small smiles graces the blond's lips. "Not even then. Love is love, remember?"


	22. AU: Motherly Affection

_[AU: Motherly Affection]_

_[Adoptive-mother!Aqua, child versions of Kairi, Naminé, Sora, Ventus, and Roxas; no pairings]_

"Mommy, can you read us a bedtime story?" the triplets, Sora, Ventus, and Roxas all sleepily murmur at the same time.

"Yeah, we want a story, too," Kairi pipes up, her younger sister Naminé holding her hand. The petite blonde's other hand is up to her mouth, the thumb being sucked on.

"Of course I will," Aqua coos as she shuts her laptop and sets it aside on her end table. "Bring a book in here and climb in bed with me. I'll read it aloud to all of you."

Seconds later, the five children are back in Aqua's bedroom, all of them bounding onto her mattress with a book in hand. "We want this one!" three of them chorus. The other silent two, Roxas and Naminé, nod their heads in agreement.

The four- and three-year-olds all huddle up around their adoptive mother and settle down, curling up against the young woman's sides and one another. The woman is merely twenty-seven years old, and already she had five kids. She works triple shifts, one shift per separate job, and occasionally gets child support from her ex-husband. And the only reason why she has so many children (beside the fact that she loves kids) is due to the fact that the orphanage they came from insisted that the children would be heartbroken without one another. They are two sets of siblings from two different families, lost from parents who had no siblings to take them in. Tragic, really.

Sora nuzzles into Aqua's arm and listens to her soothing voice. He doesn't remember his old life at all. All he's ever known is Aqua, and that's the only person he cares about. But Aqua is honest with her children; they all know that they're adopted. But they're okay with it because the blunette, they know, will never abandon them.

They mother reads no more than a chapter and a half of _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets _before the children are out cold, exhausted from the day and lulled to sleep by the sound of their mother's voice.

Aqua smiles to herself. She gently strokes Sora's and Kairi's hair, and lightly touches Ven's and Naminé's. She can't quite reach Roxas, so she leans carefully over to ruffle his hair as well. She gently slides Kairi and Naminé over enough to reach past them and shut off the lamp. In the darkness, Aqua sighs contentedly and snuggles down into her covers, her children surrounding her.

Peaceful rest has never come so quickly.


	23. Catastrophic Love

_[Catastrophic Love]_

_[Hints of: Isa X Lea, Xehanort X Isa, Xemnas X Saїx]_

Torn from all that I have ever known  
Separate from nothingness,  
Darkness full-grown –

Caught up in a web of truth-laced lies,  
Searching wildly for peace,  
Afraid of dim eyes –

Witnessing fallout from day to day  
Unversed and Heartless and Nobodies  
Have come my way –

Lost without a place to go,  
Looking for a friend;  
The only true one I know –

Can't seem to find who I called friend;  
The redhead with green eyes  
Who lost his heart;  
'Lea' has come to an end –

I meet the young, tan man with silver hair;  
His memories wiped blank,  
His golden eyes stare –

Something with me sparks with a start;  
I feel as though I should serve him,  
Even though I am also losing my heart –

Our names shift, our bodies change;  
I feel myself shatter and break;  
I feel myself morph into something strange…

A Nobody is born,  
And with it a catastrophic love is made;  
Distant thought I am,  
Emotions though have been forbade,  
I still feel something…

A shadow of a distrust,  
A ghost of devotion;  
A whisper of disgust,  
An inkling of exasperation –

It all swirls about in a haphazard fashion;  
Memories and emotions and thoughts of the past  
Gobbled up and swallowed down into oblivion.


	24. One Dance

**A/N: Inspiration struck when I was re-watching the cutscene during Terra's time in Castle of Dreams (Cinderella's world) when he sees Aqua and speaks to her. And I thought: "there's a ball going on just up the stairs behind them, and what a shame it is they can't have at least one dance together! D:" …And so, I felt the need to write this.**

* * *

_[One Dance]_

_[Terra X Aqua]_

"Oh, my dear. You shouldn't go into the palace looking like that; there's a ball going on, and surely you would like to not stick out like a sore thumb in it," Fairy Godmother spoke lightly to the blue-haired stranger, glancing over her attire, armor and corset and all. "Here, let me fashion a quick dress for you; just something to last an hour or so while you look for that boy."

She is, of course, referring to Ventus; Aqua mentioned to the fairy that she's looking for a young teenage boy with blond hair who ran away, and, sympathetically, the fairy wants to help in any way she can, even if she isn't specifically _Aqua's _fairy godmother.

"Oh. Why, thank you," the bluenette replies with a small smile.

In moments, a dress in very much the same color scheme and fashion as Aqua's clothes is suddenly on her, all black and blue and white and pink, and so lovely. It looks a little odd to Aqua, though, due to the bumps and ruffles in places she isn't accustomed to having such things, but, she assumes, this is the style of this world, so she shrugs it off.

As she goes to turn her head, she feels a curl touch her cheek. "Huh?" she murmurs, and she peers down into the water of the castle fountain nearby to see a pin in her hair sparkling against a small bun in her hair. Her bangs and forelocks are styled and lightly curled, and the pin is the same heart-shape as the one she normally wears on her chest. She smiles. "Oh! It's better than I thought!"

"I hoped you might like it," the fairy smiles. She steps over and taps the barrette. "And even after the spell of the dress wears off, you will have this in you hair; a gift, from me to you, like the glass slippers that will remain as a memento for dear Cinderella when her own spell fades."

"That's very kind of you," Aqua remarks. "Thank you, truly."

"It's nothing," Fairy Godmother chuckles. She pushes Aqua's back. "Now get going! You don't want to miss the ball. You never know what you'll find there."

Aqua nods swiftly, and in moments, she's racing up the stairs and into the castle just as a girl in a blue dress with pearl earrings comes racing out.

The keyblade master stills in front of the inner staircase, watching the other girl flee as a clock chimes faintly in the distance. A man – an employee of the palace, by looks of his clothing – chases after her, but he's too old to be the prince himself.

"Aqua?"

She turns, her gaze leaving those in motion to find someone else standing still at the top of the stairs. He's dressed with one arm of armor, his hair is brown, and his voice –

"Terra!" she calls out. Funny that she's looking for one of her male companions and instead locates the other. He looks a bit stunned, his blue eyes blinking as he pivots and starts to jog hastily down the stairs, slowly a bit as he stands before her at the bottom.

"I… What are you doing here? And… why are you dressed like that?"

"I need to blend in. They're not supposed to know other worlds exist, right?" Aqua murmurs. She shakes her head. "But I'm here because Ven ran away from home. I'm looking for him. I feel responsible for him, and Master Eraqus asked me to –"

"Ven must be looking for me," Terra sighs, leaning most of his weight onto one foot. "He was trying to tell me something before I left." He pauses, glancing away, out a window at the starry night sky. "I should have listened to him. I'm sorry I made this happen, but I need to find Master Xehanort."

"I know," she responds quietly, peering down at her silk-gloved hands where she holds them in front of her stomach. "And I'll try not to keep you from it. Have you at least heard anything about Ven?"

"No. If I had, I would've said something," Terra retorts.

"Oh. Right. Sorry," she mutters, biting her inner cheek. She turns and starts to go up the stairs. "Thanks anyway. I'll try to see if he shows up here within the next hour, though, to be safe. Good luck on your own journey, Terra. And be safe; there are Unversed everywhere, and some of them are tougher than others."

"So I've noticed," he replies. "Good luck to you, too. I hope you find Ven. I worry about him being out there alone. We can handle it, but he's so young…"

Aqua pauses on the stairs and peers down at him. "Mmhmm. That's why I need to find him fast," she says. The bluenette is about to keep moving when Terra glances up at her and feels a flutter of light flow through him.

"Aqua, wait," he calls out, and he jogs up the stairs and catches her wrist. She looks at him oddly. "Um." He hesitates, his cheeks feeling warm, and he resists admitting that it's with a blush. "You know, you look… really good like this."

It takes her a moment, but soon Aqua is laughing, wrist slipping out of his hand. Her own cheeks are pink, and he relaxes a bit. "Terra, what –"

"Before we part, would you like to share one dance with me? I mean, just one, since we've never had balls or anything like that back home, castle or no castle. And there's one here, now, so… just one?" he says, words coming out in a rush and surprising him. He hadn't meant to ask this, but now that he has, he finds that he doesn't regret it. It's something that sprang from his heart, a whim he wants to oblige.

Aqua smiles warmly and nods. "Yeah, all right. Sure. But only one, because we have our missions to complete."

He nods, and takes her hand on his arm as he leads her up the stairs to the ballroom. "I know, and normally I would keep going, but… Cinderella, the girl you saw leave a few moments ago, taught me about believing, about having faith in dreams, and how those honest beliefs can light the darkness. And I…" He stops at the top of the stairs, near the balcony, and peers into her eyes. "I realized something, Aqua."

"And what's that?" she says softly.

He smiles gently at her. "I realized that I believe in you and Ven. You two are my light. And seeing you here, like this; it helps conquer the darkness in me that made me fail the Mastery Exam."

"Terra…"

He waves her concern and understanding aside. "It's just something personal that dawned on me. Don't worry."

"All right," she replies, looking toward the ballroom, people in dresses and suits twirling about, the prince off to the side, pacing. She smiles at the scene, as off as it is, because there's something about it that's familiar, and a lot more about it that's exciting and new.

Aqua takes Terra's hand when he offers it, and is led out into the ballroom's dance floor, just off-center from the red carpet lining the middle. She giggles as she looks at the other couples and compares them to the couple she's a part of.

"You stick out so much. How did no one question where you came from?" she muses.

The brunet shrugs. "They probably assumed that I'm a knight of some sort. I have some armor on, anyway. And there are probably other kingdoms in this world, so they probably also assume I'm from one of those. It doesn't matter, I don't think. Everyone here is just here to enjoy themselves." He glances around. "Ven's still not here. If he doesn't show after our dance, it might be best of you move on."

"I will," Aqua replies. And then, just like that, they fall into an easy silence.

Terra takes the blunette into his arms. He's known this young woman nearly all his life, and yet, he couldn't develop any feelings for her that were family-like. Instead, all he ever felt was friendship, the sort that blossomed into genuine love.

And he isn't sure what to do about it, was never sure how to approach her with it, because romantic feelings like those are delicate and intricate and troubling. But this, here… this single dance, this stolen moment between them; this, Terra thinks, is all he ever wanted or needed in order to convey is feelings.

And, he fears, this will be the sole chance he will have to spend time like this with her, and be able to portray the correct feelings. Outside of this dance, they are warriors of the keyblade, protectors of the Light, and comrades, if nothing else. It pains Terra a little to think of it that way, but it's true. That's all they are. That's all they ever can be. And neither of them can predict what their future will bring, particularly with the matters at hand, as dangerous as they potentially are.

Aqua seems to sense this. She looks down, tears filling her eyes. She blinks them away. "Thank you for this, Terra," she whispers, turning her gaze on him and making his breath catch in his throat. She suddenly leans forward in their waltz and rests her head on his broad chest. His heart picks up its beats, and it makes her smile. "I've secretly always wanted something like this with you."

Terra acts like this doesn't affect him, hearing this. In actuality, it's equal parts heartwarming as it is heart wrenching. He's happy to hear that at least some of what he feels is returned, but saddened to think that they could have something together but might not reach it because of their destinies getting in the way.

"Well, then I'm glad I asked you to dance," Terra muses mostly to himself. Aqua hums a half a chuckle and nods. He pulls her away, twirling her once, and then brings her back to his chest. "Come with me for a moment."

He leads her outside, away from prying eyes. They look out at the stars, the other worlds in the sky. Then, slowly, they turn to look at one another.

It doesn't take much time for Terra to cup Aqua's chin in his hand and slowly let his eyes fall shut. And it takes even less time for her to close her own eyes and lean up into him.

Their lips meet slowly, sweetly, and there are so many broken promises in their kiss. The passion isn't lost on the desperation of it. The tear sliding down Aqua's cheek when she understands that this could be their first and last kiss together only adds to the crushing weight of the long kiss, her nails digging through her gloves over Terra's shoulders. His lips move over hers, their mouths meeting between gasping breaths, and then, slowly, he pulls away and disengages himself.

"Goodbye, Aqua."

The bluenette wipes her wet cheek and nods, smiling sadly. "Farwell."

And she watches him go, leaving on his motorcycle-like transport, flying off into an opening Lane Between in the sky with his armor shrouding his body.

Then, slowly, she returns to the ballroom, leaving the castle through the front entrance, her dress falling away into sparkles of light until she is dressed in her own clothes again, the personalized barrette in her hair the only solid piece of evidence that this memory will remain true until the day she dies.


End file.
